Painter Who Continues To Produce Between London And Istanbul

“We see the reflection of our subconscious through abstract painting.”

Seçil Erel, who blends East and West, ancient and modern elements in the same language in her works, continues to paint in both London and Istanbul. We had a pleasant conversation with the painter about his art and the exhibition he will open abroad in the coming period.

“In my work, I emphasize the importance of harmony between my experiences, focusing especially on the synchronization between breath, the alignment of mind and heart, and the joyful coexistence inherent in the state of being,” says Seçil Erel. Talk to the artist about his art journey, his tendency towards abstract painting and his new exhibition.

HELLO!: How did your art journey begin? You graduated from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts painting department. Was being a painter something you always wanted to do?

Seçil Erel: As a painter, the process of thinking, creating and producing is so meaningful to me and I love doing it; Likewise, I love how it is presented, displayed and shared. As someone who lives by fulfilling his dream, yes. Even though I studied science and mathematics during my high school years, I knew that was not my direction. Then a path opened and I started to study drawing, which has brought me to this day. Thus, the door that led me to Mimar Sinan was opened. After completing my master's degree there, I came to this day as an independent artist.

HELLO!: In an interview I had with Güngör Taner, he said about abstract painting, "When you turn abstract paintings around themselves, you will definitely come across a figure that seems concrete to you, you see it concretely within itself." And with this sentence, he talked about how important abstract painting actually is. Would you agree with Taner Hodja on this issue?

S. Erel: Of course, I would agree with Güngör, whose student I was at the academy and with whom I spent very meaningful times, and I would like to add that; In fact, through painting and especially abstract painting, we subconsciously We see the reflection of the one lying down. We encounter ourselves through colours, textures and layers.

HELLO!: You are located in many parts of the world, but often in London. And you have held exhibitions in many countries. Of course, the understanding of art varies between countries. Which countries are diametrically opposed or similar to our country in terms of their approach to art?

S. Erel: Although the perception, production and working language, political, economic and geographical conditions stemming from the historical and cultural background of each country and region are different, and in this context art seems like a very personal thing, art is essentially a language with which you can connect. We see that Turkey, like other countries, has its own dynamics. In my opinion, in this respect, art is positioned in a special place open to development and change.. I am full of hope that the art scene in Turkey will become more stratified and the way of shopping will be brought to an international level. In England, the situation is at a completely different level and there is already a market that has established ties with the whole world; It progresses in multiple layers.

HELLO!: I read that you organized an 'Art Club'. Can you talk a little bit about this?

S. Erel: With the intention of activating the creativity that individuals already have within themselves, first of all, during the pandemic, we are all in our homes and no longer where we are; But it started as workshops that I gave online in an environment where how we are is important. It continued as physical art workshops as we started life over again. The workshops, which started completely on a voluntary basis, continue in my workshop in Istanbul, in addition to London, to serve small groups. My collaborations with various institutions and brands continue. In addition to these, we also organize art tours to private galleries in the London art scene, which started upon the request of my close circle.

HELLO!: You also work voluntarily in social responsibility projects. Do you have any collaborations in the future?

S. Erel: Yes. This is one of the happiest parts of my job. It is very enjoyable and meaningful to be able to do work that can add value to the audience. They requested that I produce a special work at the end of 2024 for the ovarian cancer awareness campaign, which is more common among women of Eastern European and Turkish origin. I complied with this request with great sincerity and the campaign has now begun to spread through the streets of London. The first event of this campaign, which will last for months, was held in London in the last week of January. and will continue in 2025. In order to further contribute to their beautiful awareness campaigns, my limited edition print, from which a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Eve Appeal, has been published in collaboration with White Label Edition, which actively develops solutions for collaborations between artists and charities in Europe and America, in addition to the UK. Thus, we expanded our sphere of influence. In addition, this month, upon the invitation of curator Ryan Stainer, I completed two works on paper for Terrence Higgins Trust's art auction supporting HIV awareness-related works. These works will also be put up for auction soon.

HELLO!: As an international female artist, have you ever experienced gender inequality? How did you deal with this?

S. Erel: Although I have been careful not to put my gender at the forefront and not let it be an issue, especially as a female artist raising a child alone, the answer to this question is yes. It is not easy to be an independent individual and speak out in a world dominated by men. There were periods and areas where I found it very difficult. But life is against you
Because he produces people like himself; I continued with acceptance, faith and patience and am walking on my own path.

HELLO!: You will have a new exhibition in London in June. We would like to hear the details from you. The production process, your inspiration etc...

S. Erel: Of course. We are in a very exciting process, preparations are continuing. Under the title of 'Alliance', which consists of my works that will be shown for the first time and produced for the exhibition, it will be held at D Contemporary on Grafton Street in Mayfair, London, between 3-15 June 2025, including London Gallery Weekend. In my early years, I evaluated my research on existence and the geometry and unit relationship I developed by focusing on time, space and memory. In the following period, I embarked on a journey to deeply examine my inner world and vital questions during my journey to settle in London, from my homeland, under difficult conditions and by taking risks. In this context, what appears as units in my works are the paintings themselves; It was as if the images had turned into atmospheres with 'zoom in zoom out' effects. This is individually and artistically It has entered a period in which it creates works that show both physical and internal integration at the point where the transformation journey I went through and feeling its roots in two countries, rebirthing itself, changing and transforming. In this context, the relationship between my own 'state of being' (the name of my previous exhibition) and the meaning of the breath as a whole forms the basis of this exhibition. I believe that the viewer can find a feeling or thought about himself in the works created by fictional coincidences in which we see the representation of 'gratitude', 'satisfaction', 'peace', 'flexibility' as well as determination, dynamism and resourcefulness. In the two-part space of Gallery D Contemporary, I will first exhibit my works in which modularity and geometry remind me, as well as a painting installation that represents the small change that will be created by change in infinity, and in the second part, I will exhibit my works in which the units are the works themselves. I prefer a healthy and conscious life. Many of the answers I have been looking for in the last eight years, during which I combined my change with my art by putting physical exercises and meditation at the center of my life, came from neuroscientist Dr. I found it through Joe Dispenza's research and presentations.